On-line monitoring of wastewater quality: a review

Real-time monitoring of wastewater quality remains an unresolved problem to the wastewater treatment industry. In order tot comply with increasingly s tringent environmental regulations, plant operators as well as instrument m anufacturers have expressed the need for new standards and improved compara bility and reliability of existing techniques. A review of currently availa ble methods for monitoring global organic parameters (BOD, GOD, TOC) is giv en. The study reviews both existing standard techniques and new innovative technologies with the focus on the sensors' potential for on-line and real- time monitoring and control. Current developments of biosensors, optical se nsors and sensor arrays as well. as virtual sensors for the monitoring of w astewater organic load are presented and the interests and limitations of t hese techniques with respect to their application to the wastewater monitor ing are discussed. (C) 2001 Society of Chemical Industry.